Quick-freezing apparatus for food articles



Se t. 24, 1946. A. J. STONE 2,403,154

QUICK. FREEZING APPARATUS r on FOOD ARTICLES v Filed Feb. 21, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR QUICK FREEZING APPARATUS FOR FOOD ARTICLES Filed Feb. 21, 1945' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Sept. 24,1946. A J. S'l"ON E 2,40 ,154

QUICK FREEZING APPARATUS FOR FOOD ARTICLES Filed Feb. 21, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR LEE .2" P

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 I o FicE-Z QUICK-FREEZIN G APPARATUS FOR FOOD ARTICLES Andrew J. Stone, New York, N. Y.

AlpplicationFebruary 21, 1945, Serial No. 578,969

This invention relates to refrigeration and has reference particularly to what is generally known as quick freezing, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of Very simple and compact construction and very effective and efiicient operation.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the refrigerator;

Figure 2 is a side elevational viewth'ereof;

Figure 3 is a horizontalcross-section of the interior structure, taken approximately on the line 3---3 of Figure 1, and looking" downwardly;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the interior structure, parts being illustrated in section;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, except that certain parts are shown in another position;

and

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view of the interior structure. 7

The housing of the plant is shown at I in Figures 1 and 2, the motor-compressor unit and the usual appurtenant mechanisms of a refrigerating system being disposed in the lower portion thereof, as indicated at 8 in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2.

The upper portion of the housing I is provided with the doors 9, 9 at the front, these doors being conveniently hinged to the housing. at l0, l and being adapted to be held closed by means of the hasps II. a

In the upper portion of the housing I, which is heat insulated as shown at M in'Figure 1 and which is accessible from the front when the doors 9, 9 are opened, are a series of so-called refrigerating plates, one over the other, half of them being fixed and the other half movable, all in a manner now to be described.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the supporting structure within the housing I comprises the four upright angle bars l2, 12, on at each corner, and horizontal angle bars I3, [3 are secured to these upright angle bars, running from front to back and spaced vertically from each other in the manner of regularly arranged shelves, pairs being in lateral alineme'nt. To each pair of these horizontal angle bars I3, I3 there is secured a stationary refrigerating plate, indicated as a whole at It, comprising the comparatively enlarged. central portion Ma, which forms a refrigerating chamber, and the laterally extending flanges Mb, l lb, secured against the respective horizontal angle bars l3, I3, conveniently by means of small horizontal angle bars l5, l5, attached to the ver- 12 Claims. (01 62 -114) tical angle bars l2, I2,parallel to the angle bars I3, [3, as clearly shown inFigures 4 and 5.

Passing through openings I301. and Mc, respec- Y tively" in the horizontal members of the angle bars l3 and the flanges 1417, are vertical rods [6, l6, one at each corner, these rods being vertically movable in a manner now toibe described.

The four vertical rods l6, l6 extend upwardly out of the housing 1, in a manner particularly illustratedat the broken-away sectional portion in Figure 1, where they become part of a. vertically moving framework I1 havingthe horizontal cross-bar l8, and lifting mechanism is provided between that cross-bar and the top of the housing. In the instant case, this lifting mechanism is in the form of a lifting jack l9, operated by a hand lever 2|]. Operation of the hand lever 28 results in the lifting of the framework, with its four downwardly extending rods l6, and the lifting jack I9 is provided with the usual mechanism for release, whereby the framework and its rods are lowered. As shown in Figure 1, a compressible washer Ila, as of rubber, is interposed between the framework l1 and the top of the housing,

around each rod IS, in such a manner that, when the framework is in its lowered position, the openof cross pins or the nuts 22, 22.

ing'through-which the rod passes is effectively packed by the compression of the washer.

The rods [6, I6 support the vertically movable refrigerating plates 2|, 2|, which are similar to the refrigerating plates l4,- l4, comprising the refrigerating chamber Ma and the laterally extending-flanges 2lb, 2H),. one of these movable refrigerating plates being disposed over each of the fixed refrigerating plates. The rods l6, I6 pass through openings in.the flanges 21b, 2"), but, in this instance, they are engaged to the flanges -2Ib, 2 lb, at the bottoms thereof, by means Surrounding th rods l6, l6, and lying between the flanges H12 and the flanges l lb above them, are the equalizing springs 23, urging their respective movable refrigerating plates downwardly towards the companion fixed refrigerating plates, all as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. When the vertically movable framework is in its lowermost position, as shown inFigure 1 and 2, the'movable refrigerating plates occupy the positionshownin Figur 5, and whenit is in its upperposition, the movable refrigerating plates occupy the position shown in Figure 4. Reference is'now made to Figure 6;

The fixed refrigerating chambers Ma, Maare connected-in series, at alternately. opposite ends, by means of tubing 24, 24, the inlet for this fixed 3 plate system being at 25 and the outlet being at 26.

The movable refrigerating chambers Zla, Zia. are also connected in series, in this instance by means of the flexible hose 21, 21, as clearly shown in Figure 6, the inlet for this movable refrigerating plate system being at 28 and the outlet therefor being at 29. The refrigerant inlets and outlets are appropriately connected with the refrigerating plant in the lower portion of the housing I, and, if desired, intermediate connections may be provided in parallel in order more evenl to distribute the refrigerant.

Articles to be frozen are to be disposed between the members of each pair of refrigerating plates and are to be held in contact therewith during freezing. Conveniently, shallow containers 30 may be used for these articles, and their introduction into the refrigerator is shown in Figure 4, the movable refrigerating plates being held in upward position for this purpose. In natural state, the foodstuff to be frozen extends beyond the rim of the container 39. With the foodstuffs thus introduced, the movable framework is permitted to lower, so that the movable refrigerating plates are permitted to come down upon the top of the foodstuffs to be frozen, the resulting condition being as illustrated in Figure 5. When the foodstuffs have been frozen, the lifting jack is again operated to raise the movable framework, and all the movable refrigerating plates,

and the frozen foodstuffs are then removed.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a stationary plate in said housing providing a refrigerant chamber, a movable plate associated therewith and providing a complementary refrigerant chamber, springs urging said movable plate toward said stationary plate, and means for moving said movable plate away from said stationary plate.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, and manual means for moving said complementary plates away from said stationary plates.

. 3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, mechanical refrigeration means in said housing, a stationary plate in said housing providing a refrigerant chamber, a movable plate associated with said stationary plate and providing a complementary refrigerant chamber, springs urging said movable plate toward said stationary plate, and means outside said housing for moving said movable plate away from said stationary plate.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, manual means for moving said complementary plates away from .said stationary plates, mechanical refrigerating means in said housing, and connections whereby said last-named, means circulate a refrigerant through said chambers.

5. In a refrigerating, apparatus, a housing, mechanical refrigerating means disposed in the 4 lower portion of said housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted above and parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, means for carrying all of said complementary plates, said means extending through the top of said housing, and means on top of said housing for raising said carrying means simultaneously to lift all of said complementary plates.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, mechanical refrigerating means disposed in the lower portion of said housing, upright supporting members in said housing, a series of refrigerant chamber plates secured to said supporting members horizontally one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate above and parallel to'each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, means for engaging all of said complementary plates, said means extending through the top of said housing, and means on top of said housing for raising said engaging means simultaneously to lift all of said complementary plates. k

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted. horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, manual means for moving said complementary plates away from said stationary plates, mechanical refrigerating means in said housing, and connections whereby said last-named means circulate a refrigerant in parallel through said stationary and complementary chambers respectively.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, manual means for simultaneously moving all of said complementary plates away from their companion stationary plates, mechanical refrigerating means in said housing, and connections whereby said lastnamed means circulate a refrigerant through said chambers.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, mechanical refrigerating meandisposed in the lower portion of said housing, a series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted above and parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, means for carrying all of said complementary plates, said means extending through the top of said housing, means for packing the same, and means on top of said housing for raising said carrying means simultaneously to lift all of said complementary plates.

10. In refrigerating apparatus, a housing, me-

chanical refrigerating means disposed in the lower portion of said housing, upright supporting members in said housing, a series of refrigerant chamber plates secured to said supporting members horizontally one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate above and parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away from the same, springs urging said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, means for engaging all of said complementary plates, said means extending through openings in the top of said housing, means for packing said openings when said complementary refrigerant chamber plates are in lowered position, and means on top of said h-ous ing for raising said engaging means simultaneously to lift all of said complementary plates.

11. In a refrigerating apparatus, a housing, a

series of stationary refrigerant chamber plates mounted horizontally in said housing one above the other, a complementary refrigerant chamber plate mounted parallel to each said stationary plate and movable toward and away. from the same, said complementary plates being mounted on vertically movable rods, springs ur ing said complementary plates toward said stationary plates, external manual means for moving said complementary plates away from said frame and the other plate in each pair being movable away from the corresponding fixed plate thereof to permit articles to be introduced therebetween, yieldable means urging each movable plate toward its fixed plate to cause the plates of each pair to exert pressure on articles interposed between them, verticallyreciprocable rods slidably secured to said frame, means connecting the rods with the movable plates, means for movingthe rods conjointly to increase the distance between each movable plate and the corresponding fixed plate, means for supplying all of the fixed plates with refrigerant and means for supplying all of the movable plates with refrigerant.

A. J. STONE. 

